Polaroid effect

Here’s a tutorial in which we will learn how to recreate that polaroid effect in photoshop.

First we start creating a new Document 800px wide and 600px tall. you can use my images if you want. Download them here.

Once we created the document we paint it black. We open the first image “Flor1”. We select the flower in this picture. To get a perfect square selection just hold down SHIFT while you select the flower with the Marquee tool. Like this:

Cut the image and paste it on the document we were working.

Now we need to draw a shape, grab the Rectangle Tool and check that Shape layer is selected on the upper part of the screen.

Just draw a rectangle over the flower picture. Remember this is polaroid effect so we need to make the lower part of the rectangle larger. Once you did this, just move the flower layer on top of the shape. You should get something like this:

Now we need to merge these two layers together. Select the shape layer and the flower layer and bit Ctrl + E. Now you have one layer with the flower and the border.

To get the other flower just repeat the step you did with the first flower. Open it, cut and paste. Draw a rectangle, place it below and Merge.

Now that you have the polaroid version of the three flowers we are going to rotate them. Select one of the flower layers and go to Edit / transform / Rotate or just hit Ctrl + T.

We need to add some shadow to each picture. Right click on the Flower3

layer and select Blending Options. Chose Drop Shadow and set these values:

We should get something like this:

Now to use the same shadow for the rest of the flower we are going to make it easier. Just Right click on the Flor3 layer (the one you applied the shadow) and choose Copy layer Style.

Right Click on the Flower2 layer and choose Paste layer style. Easy, isn’t it? Do the same with the first layer. You don’t need to copy the style again, just right click on flower1 layer and choose paste layer Style.

And that’s it. Well not. Actually our background is too dark and we can not see the shadow from the pictures. What we’re going to do is to open the “fondo_verde” file that you’ve downloaded from the .zip file at the beginning of the tutorial.

Select the whole image, copy and paste it on the document we were working on. Move that layer to the bottom. Now you have a green background.

We’re going to blur that backgrund a little so it don’t distract us from the main pictures. Go to and set these values:

Then we lower the opacity of this layer to 75% and now that’s it.

We’re finished. Look at the final result:

Click to enlarge

Here you can download the PSD file.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial.

If you want to be up-to-date with new tutorials coming out you can follow me on twitter @violettuts or just check the facebook fan page.

See ya!

Violet.